Drawer construction



Dec. 17, 1968 c. c. HILFINGER ET AL 3,

' DRAWER CONSTRUCTION I Filed March 15, 1967 v a Sheets-Sheef 1 JINVENTORSI X D. Jmmsun,

5201155 BHZILFINEER.

QMQMQ .ATTYS.

Dec. 17, 1968 G. c. HlLFlNG-ER ET AL 3,416,850

DRAWER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 13, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet? INVENTORS X21Z7. JUHNSUN,

550555 EHILFHVBBR.

Dec. 17, 1968 G. c. HILFINGER ET AL 3,416,850

DRAWER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 13, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS:

V20 924 I XA UJuHNsuN,

T- 5201255 DHI'LPJNEER. IB- 5 BY 'flmw AT W5.

United States Patent 3,416,850 DRAWER CONSTRUCTION George C. Hilfingerand Xa D. Johnson, Toledo, Ohio, assignors, by direct and mesneassignments, to Wesley Industries, Inc., Toledo, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Filed Mar. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 622,495 12 Claims. (Cl. 312--330)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a drawerconstruction primarily intended for use in kitchens. The drawer has ametal back and sides and a front consisting of a metal frame with acentral hardboard panel. As such, the drawer front can match kitchencabinet doors constructed in a somewhat similar manner. The bottom ofthe drawer can be of hardboard and is received between flanges of thelower portions of the back and sides. The back and sides are assembledby a tongue and slot arrangement which eliminates the requirement foradditional fasteners and speeds assembly.

This invention relates to a drawer construction including the drawer andthe drawer front.

The new drawer in accordance with the present construction is durableyet inexpensive and can be made in a number of sizes relatively easily.The new drawer also has a front consisting of a metal frame and aseparate central panel which can match doors of cabinets with which thedrawers are employed. The assemblage is particularly effective forkitchens.

In accordance with the invention, the drawer construc tion includesmetal rear and side walls which are provided with flanges at a bottomportion to receive a drawer bottom which can be of hardboard or thelike. The drawer back and sides preferably are assembled by a tongue andslot arrangement which enables the back and sides to be assembled easilyand without the use of any additional fasteners. The only fastenersemployed are those used to aflix flanges at the front ends of the sidewalls of the drawer to the front panel. The front panel has a metalframe which can be either of a one-piece die-cast construction, afour-piece construction consisting of two end die-cast members and twoupper and lower extruded frame members, or an eight-piece constructionconsisting of four die-cast corner members and four extruded framemembers. The central panel consists of a single layer of wood or thelike, or two layers including a front decorative layer and a backsupporting layer. This panel construction provides an attractiveappearance for the drawer and enables it to match cabinet doors whichcan be constructed in a somewhat similar manner. The metal frame enablesthe drawer to withstand wear and abuse more effectively and preventsanly possibility of warping.

In summary, the invention consists of a drawer construction having sidesand a back assembled by a tongue and slot arrangement. The drawer frontincludes a metal frame which can consist of one piece, four pieces, oreight pieces, with a central, separate panel.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide aunique drawer construction having the features and advantages outlinedabove.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof,reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a drawer embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in cross section taken along the line 22 ofFIG. 1;

'ice

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in horizontal cross section through thedrawer of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in transverse, vertical cross section takenalong the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of the drawer, showing the manner inwhich the sides and back are assembled;

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of a slightly modified drawer accordingto the invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section taken along theline 77 .of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in horizontal cross section taken along theline 88 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, partially-exploded view, with parts in section,of the drawer of FIGS. 6-8.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to the embodiment of FIGS.1-5, a drawer according to the invention is indicated at 10 and includesa back or rear wall 12, sides or side walls 14 and 16, a bottom 18, anda front 20. The back 12 and the sides 14 and 16 can all be extruded,with end portions thereof formed to particular, desired configurations.However, the back and sides can also be die-cast or roll-formed. Theback 12 includes a main planar panel 22 at a lower portion of which is agroove 24 formed by inwardly-extending flanges 26 and 28 to receive therear edge of the bottom 18. Particularly if the back is die-cast, thelower flange 28 can consist of a plurality of spaced short flanges whichprovide the same function but save metal. The continuous upper flange 26can also consist of short flanges but the continuous flange achieves abetter appearance. At the ends of the back, tongues or projections 30are formed by a suitable operation with the tongues then bentrearwardly, as best shown in FIG. 3, at an angle of about to the planeof the back panel 22. End portions of the back panel also can be notchedor removed to prevent interference with the sides.

The left side 14 of the drawer also can be extruded, die-cast, orroll-formed, and includes a main panel 32 with a groove 34 formed at alower portion thereof by inwardly-extending flanges 36 and 38 whichagain can be continuous or discontinuous. Near the rearend of the side14 slots or other suitable openings 40 are formed in the side panel 32to receive the tongues 30 of the back 12. The slots 40 form a close fitwith the tongues and provides a secure connection for the drawer. At thefront end of the side 14, the panel 32 is bent inwardly to formconnecting flanges 42 and 44 which are used to afilx the side 14 to thefront 20, as will be discussed more fully subsequently. A single flangecan be used if the drawer is die-cast. A guide or supporting flange 46extends along the outer surface of the side panel 32, between theflanges 42 and 44, when side rollers are employed for carrying thedrawer.

A supporting and guiding roller 48 is mounted on the side panel 32 tothe rear of the back wall 12, as shown in FIG. 5. This roller cooperateswith a C-shaped frame guide 50 affixed to framing generally indicated at52 in FIG. 3. The roller 48 rides on a lower flange 54 of the guide 50when the drawer is shut and partly shut. Similarly, the roller 48 rideson an upper flange 56 of the guide when the drawer is more than abouthalf-way open. The guide 50 has a front roller 58 mounted thereon whichrides on the guide flange 46 of the drawer for any position of thedrawer. This general arrangement is known in the art. If the sides aredie-cast, end portions of the roller flanges can be slanted to provide aself-closing effect for the drawer.

An upper rear corner portion 60 of each side is removed, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 5, to enable the drawer to be lifted out of the frame 52when moved beyond an open position. Suitable stop means can be employedto o prevent normal movement of the drawer beyond a normally-openposition, except by special manipulation of the drawer, as is well knownin the art. Of course, rather than the side guides and rollers, acentral guide can be used under the drawer. In such an instance, thesupporting flanges 46 would not be provided.

The right side 16 of the drawer is substantially symmetrically oppositeto the side 14. If the side guides and rollers are used, and the side 16is extruded, it can have a modified guide flange 62 which extendsoutwardly from the side panel and a depending flange 64 which extendsbehind the frame roller 58 to provide an effective transverse guide forthe drawer as it is moved in and out. The depending flange 64 is onlyemployed on the one side to prevent possible binding, in the event thedrawer frame is out of square or is not in proper alignment.

The drawer bottom 18 can be made of hardboard, plywood, flakeboard, orthe like and is planar throughout its extent. The thickness is such astoo cooperate closely with the grooves 24 and 34, preferably with aslightly snug fit. If the thickness of the bottom is less than the widthof the grooves, the flanges forming the grooves can be crimped slightlyto provide a tighter fit.

The front of the drawer 10 basically includes a metal frame 66 and acentral panel 68. The frame, in this instance, is of one-piececonstruction and has inwardly-extending inner flanges 70 abutting theface of the central panel 68, and inwardly extending outer flanges 72extending to the rear surface of the panel 68. Intermediate web portions74 of the frame have four rearwardly-extending bosses 76 which receivescrews or other suitable fasteners '78. The screws 78 can be of theselftapping type, extending through the flanges 42 and 44 of the sides14 and 16 to fasten the sides to the drawer front and specifically tothe frame 66. With this construction, the central panel 68, which can beof a single layer of plywood or the like is then held in place betweenthe inner flanges 70 of the frame 66 and the flanges 42 and 44 of thesides 14 and 16. While the bosses 76 are shown as extending throughdrilled holes in the panel 68, the bosses can stop at the front surfaceof the panel 68. Particularly for wider drawers, one or two supportingprojections 80 can be cast on a lower member of the frame 66 and extendrearwardly beyond the panel 68 to support a front edge portion of thedrawer bottom 18. Additional holes are formed in the panel 68 to receivethe projections. Further, tabs 82 can be cast on central portions of theupper and lower frame members. These tabs can be bent downwardly overthe rear surface of the panel 68 to aid in its support.

From the above, it will be seen that the drawer 10 is of durable andlow-cost construction. The components of the drawer are, in themselves,relatively inexpensive and can be assembled quickly and with only thefour screws or fasteners 78 employed. The drawer components can beassembled as best shown in FIG. 5 by fastening the side 14, for example,to the drawer front 20 by means of two screws and by then assembling theback 12 with the side 14 by inserting the tongues in the slots with theback 12 in a slanted position. The back is then swung to the dotted lineposition as shown in FIG. 5 and the other side 16 is then assembledtherewith by inserting the tongues in the slots when the side 16 is atan angle as shown in full lines and by then swinging the side 16 to thedotted line position. The last two screws are then used to aflix theside 16 to the front 20 and the assembly is then complete. The groovesof the respective sides and back are received over the edges of thebottom 18 during the assembling steps.

FIGS. 6-9 show a slightly modified drawer which includes the same sides,back, and bottom components as the drawer of FIGS. l-S. In this instancethe drawer has a slightly modified drawer front 84, but which stillincludes a metal frame 86 and a central panel 88. The metal frame 86 isof eight-piece construction, including upper and lower extruded framemembers 90, side extruded frame members 92, and four die-cast cornerframe members 94. The panel 88, in this instance, includes a front boardor decorative layer 96 and a back board or supporting layer 98. Each ofthe layers can constitute inch plywood, by way of example, having onefinished surface. A two-layer panel of this type is little moreexpensive than the single-layer panel 68 which is somewhat thicker thaneither of the single layers 96 and 98 and should be finished on bothsides. With the two-layer panel, the layer 96 can float relative to themetal frame since it is not affixed thereto, but is held between theframe 84 and the back layer 98.

The die-cast corner frame members 94 are shown in more detail in FIG. 9.Each of the corner members includes a web portion 100, an inner flange102, which engages a margin of the decorative layer 96, and an outerflange 104, which extends to the rear surface of the supporting layer98. The corner frame members has means for effecting assembly with theextruded frame members and 92, including two tongues 106 and 108 whichcan be identical, with only one tongue being discussed in detail. Thetongue includes a main web 110 terminating in a beveled edge or flange112 and a perpendicular edge or flange 114. The upper surface of theflange 112 and a portion of the web 110 adjacent the flange 114 haveserrations or ridges 116 and 118 thereon which are deformed slightlywhen the tongues are assembled with the extruded frame members. Each ofthe corner members also have a central boss 120 integral therewith toreceive fasteners. The bosses extend rear- .wardly from the web 100 adistance suflicient to abut of the flanges 104. The corner members 94also have,

in this instance, two additional bosses 122 which abut and serve to backup or support corner portions of the rear supporting layer 98.

The extruded frame members 90 and 92 can be identical in shape and cutto any desired length so as to produce a drawer front of a desired widthand height. Since the drawer height is usually constant or standard, thecorner frame members and the extruded side frame members 92 can be madeof a single die-casting rather than of the three-piece construction, ifdesired, with only the upper and lower extruded frame members 90 thenemployed to accommodate drawer widths of different sizes.

Each of the extruded frame members includes a main web 124, an innerflange 126, and an intermediate L- shaped flange 128. These form achannel designed to receive one of the tongues 106 or 108 in closefitting, snug relationship. Each of the extruded frame members alsoincludes a second intermediate flange 132 which forms afastener-receiving channel into which self-threading screws can beturned, particularly for wider drawers wherein the back layer 98 can beadditionally supported by the frame members 90, by suitably spacedscrews which serve the same purpose as the tabs 82 of FIG. 5. Inaddition, the frame members include outer flanges 134 which extend tothe rear surface of the supporting layer 98 to hide the edges thereofand provide a finished appearance for the drawer front. The edges of theflanges 134 lie in the same plane as the edges of the outer flanges 104of the corner members 94.

An L-shaped sheet metal bracket 136 extends under the drawer bottom 18to provide intermediate support therefor. The bracket, shown in FIG. 7,is supported by a projection 138 extending through a hole 140 in thesupporting layer 98. The projection 138 is inserted into the hole 140before the front is assembled with the drawer bottom and is then held inplace between the edge of the drawer bottom 18 and the panel 98 withoutspecial fasteners. The drawer is assembled in the same manner as beforewith four corner fasteners or screws 142 assembling the sides of thedrawer with the front and also assembling the two-layer panel 88 withthe frame 84. As mentioned, the bracket 136 is first assembled with therear layer 98 by inserting the projection 138 in the hole 140 prior toassembly of the drawer sides with the front.

Various modifications of the above described embodiments of theinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to beunderstood that such modifications can be made without departing fromthe scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenorof the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. A drawer comprising two side walls, a rear wall, a bottom, and afront, said front comprising a central panel having an outer flat marginof substantially uniform thickness extending around the entireperiphery, a metal frame around said panel and separate from said panel,said frame comprising four frame members including two side framemembers, an upper frame member, and a lower frame member, each of saidframe members having a web, means contacting said margin of said panel,and an integral outer flange extending substantially to the back of saidpanel, and means fastening said side walls of said drawer to said front.

2. A drawer comprising two side walls, a rear wall, a bottom, and afront, said side walls each consisting of metal panels havinginwardly-facing flange means at lower edge portions thereofsubstantially over the length of said panels, said rear wall alsocomprising a metal panel having inwardly-facing flange means co-planarwith the flange means of said side panels, said bottom having two majorsurfaces spaced apart not more than the distance between said flangemeans to be received between and held by said flange means, said frontcomprising a metal frame and a center panel, means affixing said frontto end portions of said side walls, one of (a) said side walls and (b)said rear wall having tongues and the other of (a) said side walls and(b) said rear wall having slots fitting with one another to provide aconnection therebetween.

3. A drawer according to claim 2 wherein said tongues are bent outwardlyfrom the plane of their associated wall.

4. A drawer according to claim 3 wherein said affixing means comprisesflanges at the forward ends of said side walls for receiving fastenersby means of which said flanges are fastened to said front.

5. A drawer according to claim 4 wherein said tongues are on said rearwall and said slots are in rear portions of said side walls.

6. A drawer according to claim 1 wherein said central panel comprises aback board and a front board, said front board having the outer flatmargin of substantially uniform thickness around the entire periphery,said back board extending beyond said margin of said front board, saidfront board being separate and independently movable relative to saidback board.

7. A drawer according to claim 1 characterized by said fastening meansconnects end portions of said side walls to said metal frame, with saidpanel held therebetween.

8. A drawer according to claim 6 characterized by said fastening meansconnects end portions of said side walls through said back board to aidin holding said front board between said back board and said metalframe.

9. A drawer according to claim 1 wherein the upper and lower framemembers are extruded and are connected to the two side frame members.

10. A drawer according to claim 9 wherein said side frame members eachinclude an extruded portion and means connecting said extruded portionto said upper and lower extruded frame members.

11. A drawer according to claim 10 characterized by said connectingmeans comprises die-cast corner members having means for makingconnections with ends of said upper and lower frame members and withsaid extruded portions of said side frame members.

12. A drawer according to claim 11 wherein said connecting meanscomprises tongues received in channels formed in said upper and lowerframe members and in said extruded portions of said side frame members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,761 8/1943 Brodbeck 312-3422,701,174 2/1955 Franks 312-330 X 2,726,915 12/1955 Schuette 312-340 X3,282,635 11/1966 Himelreich 31233O X JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

